By Ralph 'Onz' Chery

Lansdowne Bhoys’ first team is enjoying an outstanding season in the CSL as the team is undefeated in eight league outings and is on top of the table with a game in hand. Their defense is a large part of their success. The team conceded seven goals in eight games.

The Bhoys’ reserve team’s defense has also been impeccable. They extraordinarily only allowed one goal in eight league-games—one penalty. No other team in the entire CSL has allowed less goals than the Irish club’s reserve squad.

To complement their defensive prowess, Lansdowne Reserve won all of their eight league-games and sits on top of the standings with a two-point advantage with a game in hand.

The man behind the Bhoys’ second unit’s success is first year head coach Sean Kenny.

“I have to say he’s an amazing person and genius when it comes on to getting everyone to play at their full potentialSean Kenny aka Sean Mourinho Guardiola Kenny,” goalkeeper Ruel Gordon said.

Kenny is a former Major Indoor Soccer League player with the Dallas Kickers, an ex St. John’s University assistant coach, where he won the NCAA Division I National Championship in 1996.

The Bhoys’ reserve team’s coach also spent 11 years (1987-2016) head-coaching Concordia College. His most notable achievement with Concordia is the 1992 ECAC NCAA DII Championship alongside the NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year award.

After getting the amateur champions’ coaching position during the offseason, Kenny explained how he “made a few calls” to acquire players. The team’s roster is mainly made up of his former players.

The two most valuable players of the Lansdowne Reserve’s defense are keeper Gordon and center back James Walters; the two has been playing together for 12 years, including a four-year spell under Kenny at Concordia College. The players’ former years with their head coach has been key in the team’s success.

“They know what I want,” Kenny said. “We train twice a week and players rarely miss training. They give maximum effort in training and games and deserve to be doing well in the league I’m very proud of our wins so far but the season has a long way to go.”

He later added: “I have been lucky and been blessed with to have had many fine players. This group of Lansdowne Bhoys is no different. There is a great team spirit. Add to that some talent and you have yourself a good team.”

Despite the team’s unreal defensive record, Kenny noted that his side is an attacking team.

Keeper Gordon expressed that this campaign is so far the best season of his career and complimented his defenders.

“All of this wouldn’t have been possible without the help of my defense—the Wall of China,” he said. “The defensive third have contributed tremendously to the success of the team starting from the starting four to the substitute players.”

Two players the keeper singled out in the team’s defensive success are Walters and Jeffery Coronel, whom he said “have good synergy going and have been very disciplined when given instructions to organize the defense.”

With the players and coaches long years together before joining the club, Gordon noted that the leading component of the team’s success is accountability.

“The key factor is accountability,” the 25-year-old said. “Collectively as a unit we work together starting from the attacking third to the middle third then the defensive third to get the goal we have accomplished. The cohesiveness of the players is what contributes to the success of the team.”

Gordon is aiming to win the D1 Reserve title alongside his teammates and coaches.

“That’s the ultimate goal to win the D1 Reserve title which would be the first title for me with the club,” the keeper said. “Anything else that comes with it would be an addition but I have to say I love the team we have and we just want to continue winning.”